IMPORTANT - Avast antivirus and certain PEVSoft tools (read thread for details)

[shaneturner12]

Moderators - if this is in the wrong place, please put it in the right place.

Hi Trainzers,

This is important information for Avast antivirus software users who use PEVSoft tools, particularly the Attachment Maker tool.

I have received reports that users of Avast are finding Trojans in Attachment Maker as well as possibly other PEVSoft tools downloaded from my tutorial site or PEV's site. As a result, I have done checks on affected tools using the VirusTotal website - results are below.


I can confirm that there are no viruses in the software, as I have fully checked the tools using multiple antivirus engines (including MalwareBytes Anti-Malware) , and all reported that the file(s) are clean. This indicates that Avast is incorrectly flagging up certain PEVSoft tools as Trojans, when this is not the case (and I trust PEV not to add anything like that).
This issue has cropped up in the latest database update for Avast software. I would advise all affected users to report this as a false positive, as enough reports will hopefully get them to rectify their fault.

What I believe may have happened is that one of the 'software download' sites has added malicious code to their version of the PEVSoft tools, which may be confusing Avast's software into thinking that the legitimate versions are also affected.

I can assure users with a very high degree of certainty that there is no viruses in any of the PEVSoft tools.

I take reports of viruses very seriously when it involves tools available on my tutorial site.

Note that I am not aware of any other antivirus tools being affected by this.

Shane

 

[johnwhelan]

One of the problems of anti virus software is the number of false positives they throw up. The free Microsoft one is fairly good in this respect.

Cheerio John

 

[shaneturner12]

That's true. That's one reason why I've created this thread, to warn Avast users that their antivirus may cause them issues if they need to use PEVSoft tools. Saying that though, I haven't had much in the way of false positives with AVG 2013 (Internet Security).

Shane

 

[ex-railwayman]

Funny you should post this message Shane, I had to re-subscribe my annual membership to Avast only last week, I now have version 8.0.1483, it now comes up with false positives for a whole range of installed gaming content, from Aerosoft Flight Sim stuff, to other payware suppliers for various railway simulators, and having obtained the assets several years ago, I know for a fact that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the downloaded packages, etc, at all, so, it appears that it may be the current Avast software that is to blame, however, I always check whenever it throws up something, but, giving false positives on stuff I know is clean is a bit of a nightmare now.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

 

[shaneturner12]

Coincidentally, it's receiving a PM about it as well as seeing a thread about it that's sparked off this thread.

By the sounds of things, it's either the latest or a very recent update that's caused this.

Shane

 

[bendorsey]

I had something similar happen to me a short time ago concerning McAfee.

Most of the info I get for the items I make for folks comes in as zip folders. All of a sudden McAfee was flagging every zip folder as being contaminated even tho I knew darn well it wasn't (individual items did not get flagged - only zip folders). The senders ISP would run it thru Norton and give him a clean bill of health, then my ISP also ran it thru Norton and again gave them clean bills of health but then up pops a big fat fire engine red warning from McAfee saying it was contaminated. Took them about 5 weeks to get thier heads out of thier nether regions and fix it so hopefully it won't be too long before Avast gets the message and corrects the problem.

Ben

 

[shaneturner12]

I hope so too.

Shane

 

[steamboateng]

I just downloaded and installed a complete updated set of PEV tools from his site yesterday.
Norton passed the downloads as ok!